ST. MARTIN, Miss. (WLOX) – 120 acres later, two fires that threatened nearby homes in St. Martin Thursday afternoon are now under control.

Before these two blazes flared up, crews were battling another fire near the city limits between Biloxi and D’Iberville, near Highway 67 and north of Highway 15. The fire has since been contained.

In Jackson County, two separate fires broke out on Old Fort Bayou Road south of I-10 and spread rapidly. Evacuations were recommended for homes on Osprey Drive and Brookstone Drive.

According to EMA director Earl Etheridge, the fires have devastated around 120 hectares of forest.

At 7:47 p.m., Etheridge said residents in the area could now safely return home as the flames were now 50% contained thanks to firebreaks created by bulldozers.

Several privacy fences were destroyed by the flames, but no homes were damaged. Twenty-five firefighters battled to extinguish the flames; two suffered minor burns. Officials will continue to monitor the fires throughout the night. Smoke is expected to be seen in the area over the next few days.

Jackson County Fire Department, Mississippi Forestry Department and Gulf Park Estates Fire Department worked to contain the fires.

The cause of the fire is currently unconfirmed.

We will update this story as we receive more information.

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